Concrete construction.



3 SHEETS-SHEET l- INVENTOR Patented Aug. 6,1918.

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APPLlCATiON FILED AUG.2| 1915i 1,274,946. PatenteaAug. 6,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- INVENTOR WITESSESr @fk BY l y ATTORNEY,

LLOYD M. SEAMAN, OF STONEHARBOR, NEW JERSEY.

CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

Application led August 2. 1915. Serial No. 43,116.

rTo all whomjz't may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD M. SEAMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stoneharbor, in the county of Cape May, State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete Construction, of which the following isa specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates particularlyV to the Y building of structures wherein it is advantageous to employ separately formed sectional units which may be subsequently assembled to form a continuous structure, and is especially directed tothe construction of sea-walls, bulkheads, colfer-dams, etc.

The principal objects `of my invention are to provide separately formed sectional units, so constructed and arranged that when abutted one with respect to the other,

. .they may be permanently united whileextending below the water line, by substantially fluid cement or concrete composition, to form a composite continuous integral structure. y

l Other objects of my invention are, to provide such units with reinforcing lifting members projecting therefrom, which afford convenient ,ties for the superstructure, whichV may be in the form of a parapet wall or coping, subsequently formed upon the assembled sectional units; and to provide reinforcing `means for locking the adjacent sectional units against relative separation.

`My invention includes means for drawing v the adjacent sectional units together, and

also provides means for sealing the joint between the said sectional units while being united.

My invention further includes such construction of theV sectional vunits that fluid may be conveniently directed therethrough forthe purpose of jetting them into position. f Y

f My invention comprehends the method'of assembling the respective sectional units, particularly as relates to the guiding of said units intok position with their adjacent prej viously positioned companion.

VMy invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement of the' structure and the method of assembling the composite parts as hereinafter moredetnitely set forth in detail.

In the accompanying. drawings, Figure 1 is a Y,fragmentary transverse sectional view of a bulkhead constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the bulkhead shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the assembled sectional units shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the assembled units in Fig. 3, showing the means for guiding them into proper relative alinement; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view, showing the means for drawing the adjacent sectional units to gether; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the structure shown yin Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the reinforcing member which serves to lock the adjacent sectional units together; Fig; 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the spacing frames for the locking members; Fig. 9 is a plan View of modified form of sectional unit; Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of the sectional unit shown in Fig. 9; F ig. 11 is a plan viewof another modification of the sectional unit; and Fig. 12 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 11.

In said figures, I have illustrated my invention as applied to a sea- Wall or bulkhead, which necessarily extends below the water line and which is formed of a series of sectional units 1, which are forced below the water 2 and into the earth 3 by any suitable means, preferably byI` what is commonly known as the jetting system.

.The bulkhead may include a series of piles t, formed of wood or other suitable material, relatively spaced and disposed at a slight distance behind the sectional units 1, and preferably parallel therewith. In order thaty the bulkhead may withstand the horizontal stresses to which it may 'be'subjected from the land side, it is preferably provided with bracing piles 5, which may be obliquely disposed with respect to the piles 4:, and to which lsaid piles 4 and sectional units 1 may be respectivelyV secured by the tie-rods 6 and 7. y

The outer endof the tie-rod 7 is provided with an eye 9, which vmay be extended through the lifting loop 10 in the upper end of the sectional unit. 1, as best shown in Fig. 1, and through which eye 9a retaining key 1l may be extended, .as best shown' in Fig. 2, to conveniently secure said tie-rod 7 with its respective sectional unit.

,As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bulkhead may be Vprovided with a parapet wall or cop mil ing 12, which may be superposed upon the sectional units 1 andthe piles y4 by molding it thereon in suitably constructed forms, and may eXtend well below the tops of said units and piles and have the tie-rods 7 embedded therein, as best shown in Fig. 1.

As bestA shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the sectional units 1 each comprise a slab of concrete of suitable length, breadth and thickness for theV conditions which are to be met, having undercut recesses or grooves eX- tending along its lateral edges, which register with similar grooves in its adjacent companions.

The grooves of the slabs shown in Fig. 3 are each formed of a cylindrical bore` 13, connected with; a' slot l5 of less width than the diameter of' said bore, and opening through the lateral' wall`r 16 of said slabs, so

that when the slabs are abutted as shown, they may be integrally united in watertight relation by a key 17 of concrete inserted therein in fluid form and coalesced therewith by setting.

rI`he concrete key 17 may be conveniently reinforced to withstand any possible lateral Y or horizontal strains tending to separate the adjacent slabs or sectional units 1, by alternately forcing the reinforcing locking" mem'- bers 19, shown in Fig. 7 and the lock spacing frames 20, shown in Fig". 8, down into the soft concrete forming the key 17, so as Vto be embedded therein and protected from the action of moisture when the concrete sets.

As shown'in Fig. 7 the locking member'19 comprises the cylindrical ends 22, each hav',-

" ing a bore 23 and connected by av relatively thin web 24, and, as shown in Fig. 8, the spacing frame 20 comprises the side bars 25' spaced to axially aline with the bores 23 in the locking member 19, and connected by a series of relatively spaced' cross-bars 26,

all of which tendf t'o strengthen the concrete key 17 and prevent the slabs 1V from being` thrust asunder.

It is essential that inI sinking the sectional unitsv -1 theybe maintained in close relation, andv preferably in contact' with their adjacent companions, so that their contiguous edges will be abutted when assembled. For this purpose I have providedv a guide comprising parallel tubula-r guiding` bars 27, connected at suitable intervals by spacingl rods 29, to the upper one of which ay suitable lifting loop or bail30 is attached for the convenient manipulation of said guide.

Said guide is.' arranged to ,have one leg` or ybar 27 disposed in the bore 13 of the last assembled slab, while the other leg or bar 27 serves to guide the next succeeding slab. into proper adjacent relation with its companion, as shown. at the right side of' Fig. 4. This guide may be withdrawn as' desired,

the adjacent' units 1 are complementary to' form Suitable guides, beneathwhich theseal'- ing board 35 may be thrustE to`seal thejoint between the adjacent units during the' process offilling the grooves with concrete, and while the same is setting. k

Inr Fig. 3 I haveshown a transversely disposedy abutment 34:, formed ofeoncrete slabs 1 andc'onnected with the Sea-wall to support: it in opposition to the horizontal strains, and may be employedalone for thispurpose or`may be used inv conjunction` With' the' piling 4' and 5, shown in Fig. 1, as desired.

Insome instancesthere may be a tendency:

for the slabs 1 to separatefwhen'the gnide'is withdrawn `and before the' concrete in the grooves has suiiiciently s'et, and for'thisV purpose I provide a wire link 36 'having-its sub'- stantially parallel bars 37 separated to straddle the grooves in the sla-bs 1', 1and thereby permit the witlijdrawal of the guide therefrom; Said link 36 has a bight 38z for engaging thezlifting loop 10er one slab, and a: returned bight 39Vforining a 'closed'v` bifurcationv which may straddle the loop 10 of the adjacent slab, and which isv arranged to receive the wedge 40, which when driven' inl the direction of" the' arrow thereon, yutilizes the loop 10 of4 the last mentioned slab. toV

draw said slabs together.

In the form of my invention shown Figs. 9 and 10, the slab 42 is provided; withundercut grooves whose opposite sides 43 and 44 are disposed in outwardly convergenti planes. The slab 42 niay'be provided with suitable passageways 45 and 46v extending longitudinally therethrough, and curving outwardly'rr as they emerge through the' bottomof the slab for-.the purpose of directing fluid'r therethrough to effect thek jetting op? eration. y

In. the form of my invention slipwn in Figs. 11 and 12, the slab 50j is provided. withA grooves comprising va substantially rectangular bore 52, connected through the lateral wall of said slabV by a relatively narrow Slot 53. j

Itis to be understoodv that suitable reinforcing bars or other reinforcing means may bev convenieintly included' in the' concrete structure, and' that the lifting loops'lf'O'which serve to connect the` slabs with the coping may extend partly through the slab, as shown in Fig. 4, or may extend continuously therethrough, as shown in Fig. 2.

My invention is advantageous in that concrete slabsduly formed, set and hardened, may be assembled below the water line and subsequently integrally united by substantially Huid concrete or cement, and the Water-tight wall thus formed provided with a coping molded thereon. l do not desire to limit my invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A structure of the class described, comprising sectional units having undercut grooves complementary to the grooves in the adjacent units to form double headed cavities between said adjacent units, means removably coperative with said grooves for guiding said units into relative parallel alinement, means hardened within said grooves to integrally unite said units, and means comprising a link tending to draw said units together during the hardening of the uniting means.

2. A structure of the class described, comprising sectional units having undercut grooves complementary to the grooves in the adjacent units, to form hollow-headed cavities between said adjacent units, means comprising fluid plastic material poured into said cavities and hardened therein to integrally unite said units, means comprising double-headed keys arranged to be disposed in spaced relation to said plastic material before hardening, and spaced means comprising spaced bars tted in the hollow of said heads for supporting said keys in spaced relation.

3. A structure of the class described, comprising sectional units arranged to be sucgrooves which form double headed cavities between adjacent units, means hardened within said cavities for integrally uniting said units, piling embedded in the earth behind the structure formed by said units, a coping formed upon said structure, and tie rods directly connecting the respective units with said piling and embedded in said coping.

5. A structure of the class described, comprising sectional units forming concrete slabs arranged to be successively assembled and having undercut grooves which form double headed cavities between adjacent units, means coperative with said grooves arranged to guide said units into relative parallel alinement, means arranged to temporarily seal the joint between said units, means hardened within said cavities for integrally uniting said units, and means arranged to temporarily hold said units together during the hardening process.

6. A structure of the class described, comprising sectional units arranged to be successively assembled and having undercut grooves which form double headed cavities between adjacent units, and provided with recesses disposed at suitable intervals near the edge thereof, plugs disposed in said recesses and cleats temporarily engaged with said plugs and arranged to receive a board or other sealing member for sealing the joint between the respective units during the process of hardening cement inserted in said cavities.

7. A structure of the class described, comprising 4sectional units having grooves in the lateral walls thereof forming a cavity between said units when assembled, cement introduced into said cavities and hardened therein to unite said units, reinforcing locking members in said cement, and spacing means between said members.

8. In a structure of the class described, means for uniting adjacent slabs of conciete having undercut grooves in their respective adjacent edges, comprising a removable keydevice having parallel hollow members substantially conforming in shape to the shape of said undercut grooves and fitting snugly therein, and serving to convey concrete into the cavity formed by the complementary grooves.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of July, A. D. 1915.

j LLOYD M. SEAMAN.

Witnesses SAMUEL C. MILLWARD, CLIFTON C. HALLowELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

